Tuesday, Oct. 23, 2018
Tifton, Georgia
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MICHIGAN GROUP BRINGS 'NEW HOPE' TO TIFTON PETS
VOLUNTEER GROUP SAVES 72 DOGS, 17 CATS
BEFORE HURRICANE MICHAEL STRIKES
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By FRANK SAYLES JR.
Tifton Grapevine
In the days just before
Hurricane Michael
hit
Tifton
, folks at the
Tift County Animal Shelter
weren't sure what they were going to do. A
massive storm
was coming, and the shelter was
overflowing
with
dogs and cats
.
"We were hoping maybe they could help; but considering they had made
two trips
from
Michigan
to our shelter in the past
eight weeks
, we weren’t sure how much room they had since they are solely
foster based
," says
Leah Robbins
and
Candice Hernandez
, who lead the
Tift animal shelter friends
organization.
The local group was shocked when
Denise Rose
, founder and president of
New Hope Pet Rescue,
called to say they were gearing up for a
38-hour
roundtrip to
"clear"
the
Tift County shelter
of its
dogs
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"It took a minute to
comprehend
what she just said; did she say
clear our shelter
?"
Robbins
and
Hernandez
say.
Four
volunteers with the
New Hope
group in
Michigan
appeared in
Tifton
and took
72
dogs. "And not just small dogs or puppies, not necessarily what are considered
'easy'
dogs, but
big
dogs,
bulldog mixes
and ones that have been
waiting
for a very long time,"
Robbins
and
Hernandez
say.
Although the
Michigan
group focuses on
dog rescue
, they saw the
68
cats in need at the
Tifton shelter
and were able to take
17
cats with them as well.
"It was quite an
undertaking
," New Hope's
Denise Rose
tells the
Tifton Grapevine
. She says it was the
largest
rescue her nonprofit volunteer organization has ever done. The previous record was
35
dogs at a time.
Rose
says they took all the
dogs
because "we knew if we left
anybody behind
, they probably wouldn't make it" out of the storm and its aftermath. "We didn't want to
decide
which ones were going to
live or die
."
She says the animals are in
Michigan
being
vetted, spayed and neutered
, and
micro-chipped
to get ready for
adoption
.
Twenty-two
of the Tifton dogs have been found to have
heart worms
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"They are so
sweet
,"
Rose
says. "We've got some really
great dogs
. We hope we can get them all
taken care of
."
"These
amazing
people came when we
needed them most
," the
Tifton volunteers
say about the
New Hope Pet Rescue
group. "There is nothing in the world like watching a
van
and
trailer
pull out of the parking lot with
89 lives saved
. The feeling of
emotion
is
overwhelming
and
indescribable
."
As
Hurricane Michael
aimed at
Southwest Georgia
, folks at the
Tifton animal shelter
were initially
"lost without hope,"
but then
"New Hope"
was on the
horizon
.
"We are
beyond thankful
to have experienced this," the
Tifton
volunteers say.
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GOV CALLS FOR SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE SESSION TO DEAL WITH HURRICANE
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Gov.
Nathan Deal
today notified House Speaker
David Ralston
and Lt. Gov.
Casey Cagle
that he plans to call for a
special legislative session
of the General Assembly to convene on
Tuesday, Nov. 13
.
“
Georgia
was severely impacted by
Hurricane Michael
, and many communities across our state sustained
heavy financial losses
. In response, I will ask the
General Assembly
to take
immediate action
and lead the way in spurring rapid economic recovery for
Southwest Georgia
communities,"
said Deal.
"
Our
state budget
also needs to be
amended
to ensure that we adequately cover our obligations. I hope to work quickly with the General Assembly in the coming days to provide
support
to the
Georgia communities
that need it most.”
The
regular session
of the 2018 General Assembly
adjourned March 29
. The state
constitution
gives a governor the authority to convene a
special session
.
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STORM'S INSURED LOSSES
AT $250 MILLION
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With more than
35,000
property-related insurance claims expected, Georgia Insurance Commissioner
Ralph Hudgens
estimates
$250 million
in insured property losses for
Hurricane Michael
.
“Our preliminary estimate today is $
250 million
in
damage
across
Georgia
. That figure may likely rise as new claims are submitted,” Hudgens said.
The estimate does not include insured
crop losses
.
Consumers with
damage
from
Hurricane Michael
should take the following steps during the claims-filing process:
- Work with your insurance company. Ask what documents, forms, and data you will need to file a claim. Keep a diary of all conversations with insurance companies, creditors or relief agencies.
- Maintain any damaged personal property for the adjuster to inspect.
- Ask the adjuster for an itemized explanation of the claim settlement offer.
- Be wary of contractors who demand upfront payment before work is initiated or payment in full before work is completed. If the contractor needs payment to buy supplies, go with the contractor and pay the supplier directly.
- Get more than one bid. Ask for at least three references. Check with the Better Business Bureau about the contractor. Ask for proof of necessary licenses, building permits, insurance, and bonding. Record the license plate number and driver’s license number of the contractor.
- If there is a disagreement about a claim, ask the company for the specific language in the policy in question and determine why you and the company interpret your policy differently.
- If the first offer made by an insurance company does not meet your expectations, be prepared to negotiate to get a fair settlement.
If you believe you have treated
unfairly
in getting a claim paid, call the insurance
commissioner's office
at
1-800-656-2298
. Phone lines are open from
8 a.m.-6 p.m.
,
Monday
through
Friday
.
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ABAC ART SHOW SET OCT. 30
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An
art show
featuring Adjunct Professor
Jordan Walker
will
be 4-6:30 p.m. Oct. 30
in the Bowen Hall Art Gallery at
Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College
.
Dr.
Susan Kirby Roe
, head of the ABAC Department of Fine Arts, said the community is invited to attend the show and hear
remarks
from
Walker
at
5 p.m.
Refreshments
will be provided.
A native of
Ellaville
, Walker graduated from
Schley County High School
before receiving his bachelor’s degree in fine arts from
Georgia Southwestern University
. He earned his master’s degree in fine arts from
Long Island University
.
An artist and an illustrator with a taste for old literature and a flair for the dramatic,
Walker
and his paintings have been featured in group exhibitions in
New York City
and
Chicago
.
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EARLY VOTING CONTINUES STRONG
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V
oters
continue to turnout during the
early voting period
in
Tift County
; as of the end of the day
Tuesday
, a total of
3,323
Tift countians have cast ballots for the
Nov. 6
general election.
In addition, requests for
absentee ballots
have increased as well. The
Tift County Board of Elections
has mailed
581
absentee ballots and has received
238
back as of
Tuesday
.
"People seem to be really
interested
in this election," says
Leila E. Dollison,
Tift election supervisor. "It has truly been an
exciting
and
extremely busy
time here."
Early voting
ends
Nov. 2
. The
Nov. 6
general election features the race for
governor
between Democrat
Stacey Abrams
and Republican
Brian Kemp.
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The Turnwold Buggy from the Joel Chandler Harris era upon its arrival at the local museum prior to restoration.
BUGGY EXHIBIT HAS TIES
TO BR'ER RABBIT AUTHOR
An
historic buggy
exhibit with ties to
Georgia
author
Joel Chandler Harris
opens at
1 p.m. Nov. 3
at ABAC's
Ga. Museum of Agriculture and Historic Village
.
Melissa Swindell
, executive director of
The Wren’s Nest
in
Atlanta
, will
lecture
on the author and his life at the
exhibit opening
.
Harris’ widow,
Esther LaRose Harris
, gave their home,
The Wren’s Nest
, to the
Uncle Remus Memorial Association
in
1913
. It has been a treasured
Atlanta landmark
and a national memorial to Harris ever since.
Linda Harris
, the great-great granddaughter of Harris, will join
Swindell
and assist with the
lecture
.
Peter Myzuka
, an artist from
Madison
, worked with Museum Curator
Polly Huff
in the development of photos of the remnants of the
Turnwold Plantation
near
Eatonton
, the original home of the
buggy
. The photos create the core of the exhibit’s backdrop.
Another highlight of the exhibit opening will be a performance of Harris’
B'rer Rabbit stories
by one of The Wren’s Nest
storytellers
.
ABAC Dining
and the
Wiregrass Farmers Market
will provide an
opening reception
with a
Southern
flair.
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ABAC CONCERT CHOIR PERFORMS NOV. 1
Sixty-five
voices will align in harmony
Nov. 1
when the
Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College Concert Choir
presents its
fall concert
.
Dr.
Susan Kirby Roe
, head of the Department of Fine Arts and conductor for the event, said the concert begins at
7 p.m.
in
Howard Auditorium
on the ABAC campus. It is open to the public at no charge.
“We always look forward to this concert because it involves so many of our
students
who have worked extremely hard over the past several months,” Roe said.
Selections from the
Concert Choir
will include “Grant Us Thy Peace,” “Flight Song,” “The Road Home,” and “Unclouded Day.”
Alexandria Branch
will be the featured soloist on “The Road Home.”
The
ABAC Chamber Singers
will be featured in “What Sweeter Music,” and the ABAC Singers will be spotlighted in “There is Faint Music.”
Sydney Thomas
will be the soloist for the ABAC Singers.
Dr.
Zheng Jennifer Huang
, one of ABAC’s newest faculty members, will be the accompanist for the evening. Huang has performed numerous recitals and concerts as a pianist and harpsichordist in
Asia, Europe
and the
United States
. She received second place in the
1996 Hong Kong Open Piano Competition
for Asian Musicians
and has performed at
Carnegie Hall
and
Lincoln Center
.
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Pre-Sell for Charity Day Today!
See any associate for details.
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Still Accepting Charities!
Sign up for your organization today. See store for details.
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PARENTS TO MEET MONDAY AT TCHS
An annual
Title I parent meeting
,
"Brag on Blue,"
will be held at
6 p.m. Monday, Oct. 29
, in the
Commons
at
Tift County High School
.
Students
and
faculty members
will present examples of their
work
and their recent
projects
.
Refreshments
will be available.
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COLONY BANK COMPLETES PURCHASE OF ALBANY BRANCH OFFICE
Colony Bank
, headquartered in
Fitzgerald
, has completed the
purchase
of the
Albany branch
of
Planters First Bank
on
North Westover Boulevard
.
The transaction also includes a vacant
lot at the corner of
Pointe North Boulevard
and
Old Dawson Road
in
Albany
on which
Colony
expects to build a
branch
during
2019
.
The
branch purchase
is expected to result in the
transfer
of approximately
$22 million
in loans and
$12 million
in deposits.
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GOT A WEEKEND YARD SALE? LET US KNOW!
The
Tifton Grapevine
is now publishing
yard sales
in
Friday editions
. The
yard sales
will be
text
only,
no photos
, and is part of a
list
linked from the
Grapevine
edition to our
web page
.
The
cost
is
$1 per word
, and
yard sales
must be
paid in advance
via
credit card
or
PayPal
.
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Tifton Grapevine
e-published every Tuesday and Friday
Frank Sayles Jr.
Editor & Publisher
Bonnie Sayles
Managing Editor
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A Service of
Sayles Unlimited Marketing LLC
, Tifton, Georgia
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